Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,

Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –

MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

Modal Properties of Drive Train in Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine

Michael Todorov1, Georgi Vukov2
1
Technical University of Sofia, 2 University of Forestry-Sofia
8, St. Kliment Ohridsky blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
E-mail: michael.todorov@tu-sofia.bg

Abstract

The staring point in the research of the vibrations is the finding of natural frequencies and mode shapes,
which indicate the frequency range of interest. A dynamic multibody model for determination of the torsional
vibrations of a wind turbine drive train is presented in this paper. The model of a wind turbine consists of a rotor
with rigid blades, elastic shafts, a drive train and a generator. The drive train has a gearbox with three gear
stages. The gear stages include two high-speed stages (helical gear pairs) and a low-speed planetary gear stage
(three identical planets with spur teeth, sun and a fixed ring wheel). The model consists of 10 bodies and has 11
degrees of freedom. The model takes into account the stiffness of the engaged tooth pairs and shafts. In this
model the aerodynamic and generator torques are applied as external loads. Computer simulation is performed
by MATLAB. The natural frequencies and vibration modes are obtained for an industrial wind turbine.

Keywords
Wind turbine, drive train, torsional vibrations, modal analysis.

Introduction

The wind energy application has been growing rapidly for the last few years. In the last ten years the
global installed capacity of wind energy has increased 20 times. This trend is expected to continue in Europe.
The increase in the rotor and hence size of the turbine leads to a complicated design of the drive train in the wind
turbine beside higher requirements of turbine reliability.
Design calculations for a wind turbine base on simulation of mechanical loads on the turbine
components caused by external forces. The external forces are the wind, the electricity grid and sea waves for
offshore applications.
The multi-body simulation techniques are used to analyze the loads on internal components of drive
trains. The simplest model with one degree of freedom (DOF) for each drive train component is used to
investigate only torsional vibrations in the drive train. In this model all bodies have one DOF, i.e. the rotation
around their axis of symmetry. Therefore, the coupling of two bodies involves 2 DOF’s. Gear contact forces
between two wheels are modelled with a linear spring acting in the plane of action along the contact line (normal
to the tooth surface), [17, 21]. More complex model with 6 DOF’s for each drive train component is used for
investigation of the influence of bearing stiffness on the internal dynamics of the drive train. All drive train
components are treated as rigid bodies. The linkages in the multi-body model, representing the bearing and tooth
flexibilities, have 12 DOF’s, [38]. Finally, it is used a flexible model in which the drive train components are
modelled as finite element models instead of rigid bodies, [2, 4]. This model adds a possibility of calculating
stress and deformation in the drive train components in some time. Any addition to the model leads to additional
information about dynamics of the drive train but makes the modelling and the simulation more complicated.
The modern wind turbines have a planetary gearbox. Studies on the vibrations in a planetary gear
system have been done in [2, 10, 18, 19, 20, 23, 34]. The tooth meshes are modelled as a linear spring with
stiffness which is a time function. For this reason the vibration equations of a planetary gear system are
differential equations with periodic coefficients, [2, 5, 18, 19 20, 23]. References [6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 19, 23]
investigate the vibrations of compound planetary gears.
The applications of these modelling techniques on different drive trains of wind turbines are presented
in [13, 15, 16, 24-27, 28, 29, 31-33]. References [35, 36] present the numerical investigations for the given wind
turbine in this paper, where the meshes stiffness are modelled as constant springs. In this case the differential
equations, which describe the torsional vibrations of the wind turbine, have constant coefficients. Reference [37]
presents a dynamical model of an wind turbine, but the meshes stiffness are modelled as a time function.

160
 Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,
Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –
MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

This paper is based on the work [37]. The Lagrange’s equations are used to obtain the equations of the
torsional vibrations of the wind turbine, [3, 8, 22, 30, 40]. Computational modal analysis of an example wind
turbine is presented.

Dynamic Model of Wind Turbine

The wind turbine consists of a rotor, a drive train and a generator (Fig.1). The drive train has a gearbox
with three stages. The gear stages include two high-speed parallel gear stages (helical gear pairs) and a low-
speed planetary gear stage (three identical planets with spur teeth, sun and fixed ring wheel) (Fig.2).

Figure 1: Schematic sketch of wind turbine

Figure 2: Sketch of gearbox: h-hull, c-carrier, p1,2,3-planets, s-sun, g1,2,3-gears

The dynamic multi-body model is shown in Fig.3. It consists of a rotor with 3 rigid blades, a low-speed
elastic shaft, a gearbox with 3 gear stages, a high-speed elastic shaft and a generator rotor. Thus, the model
consists of 10 bodies and 11 DOF’s.
161
 Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,
Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –
MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

Figure 3. Dynamical model of wind turbine

The gear contact forces between wheels are modeled by linear spring acting in the plane of action along the
contact line (normal to the tooth surface), [21, 41]. The stiffness gear is defined as a normal distributed tooth
force in a normal plane causing the deformation of one or more engaging tooth pairs, over a distance of 1 μm,
normal to a envolvent profile in a normal plane, [9]. This deformation results from the bending of the teeth in
contact between the two gear wheels, the one of which is fixed and the other is loaded. The stiffness varies in the
time and can be expressed in a time Fourier series form, [1, 18-20, 34, 37].
Damping and friction forces are not included. These assumptions are valid for heavily to moderately loaded
gears that are correctly for a large wind turbine, [17, 21].
It is also accepted that the masses of the planets are identical.
The vector of the generalized co-ordinates is
q  h c r  p1  p 2  p3 s  g1  g 2  g 3  gn T (1)
where i (i=h,c,r,p1,p2,p3,s,g1,g2,g3,gn) are the rotational angles of the ring (gearbox hull), carrier, rotor (hub),
planet 1, planet 2, planet 3, sun, gear 1, gear 2, gear 3 and the generator rotor (Fig. 3).
The differential equations, describing the torsional vibrations of the wind turbine, are
[ M ]{q}  [C (t )   2 C ]{q}  {T } (2)
where M is the inertia matrix and C is the stiffness matrix. The matrix C results from the carrier rotation.
The vector of the external forces, caused by the wind and the electricity grid, is
T   0 0 Taero 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 T gen T (3)
where Taero and Tgen are the aerodynamic and electromagnetic torques.
The non-zero numbers of inertia matrix M are
2 2 2
m1,1  J h  J c  mc lcr  J r  mr lcr  3 J p  3m p lcr  3m p rc2  J s  ms lcr
2
 I g1  mg1l g212 
 I g 2  mg 2 l g222  I g 3  mg 3l g2 23 ;
m1,2  m2,1  J c  J r  3J p  3m p rc2 ; m1,3  m3,1  m2,3  m3,2  m3,3  J r ;
m1,4  m4,1  m1,5  m1,6  m6,1  m5,1  m2,4  m4,2  m2,5  m5,2  m2,6  m6,2  m4 ,4  m5,5  m6,6  I p ;
m1,7  m7,1  m7,7  I s ; m1,8  m8,1  m8,8  I g1 ; m1,9  m9,1  m9,9  I g 2 ; m1,10  m10,1  m10,10  I g 3 ;
m2,2  J c  J r  3J p  3m p rc2 ; m11,11  I gn .

162
 Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,
Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –
MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

The non-zero numbers of stiffness matrix C are

   
c1,1  C s1 l s21  l s22  Crp (t ) 3rR2  3rc2  3rp2  6rR rc  C ps (t ) 3rc2  3rp2  3rs2  6rc rs cos    
 
 C g12 (t ) l g12  l g 22 2  C g 23 (t ) l g 22  l g 23 2 ;  
c1,2  c2,1  Crp (t ) 3rc2   3r r   C (t ) 3r  3r  3r r cos  ;
 3rp2 R c ps c
2 2
p c s

c1,4  c4,1  C rp (t )r  r r cost     r r cos t    C (t )r  r r

2
p R p c p ps
2
p c p cost     rs rp cos t ; 
c1,5  c5,1  C rp (t )r  r r cos60  t    r r cos60  t   
2
p R p c p


 C ps (t ) rp2  rc rp cos60  t    rs rp cos60  t  ; 

c1,6  c6,1  Crp ( t ) rp2  rR rp cos 60  t    rc rp cos 60  t     

 C ps (t ) rp2  rc rp cos 60  t     rs rp cos 60  t  ; 
 
c1,7  c7,1  C ps ( t ) 3rs2  rc rs cos  ; c1,8  c8,1  C g12 (t )rg1 l g12  l g 22 cos cos  ;  
 
c1,9  c9,1  C g12 (t )rg 21 l g12  l g 22 cos  cos   C g 23 (t )rg 22 l g 22  l g 23 cos cos  ;  

c1,10  c10,1  C g 23 (t )rg 3 l g 22  l g 23 cos cos  ;  c2, 2  Crr (t ) 3rc2   3rp2  C 
ps (t ) 3rc
2
 3rp2 ; 

c2,3   c3,3  C1 ; c2, 4  c4,2  Crp (t ) rp2  rc rp cost     C ps (t ) rp2  rc rp cost    ;   
  
c2,5  c5, 2  Crp (t ) rp2  rc rp cos 60  t     C ps (t ) rp2  rc rp cos60  t    ; 
c2,6  c6, 2  Crp (t )r 2
p  rc rp cos 60  t    C (t )r ps
2
p  rc rp cos60  t   ;
c2,7  c7,2  3C ps (t )rc rs cos ; c4, 4  c5,5  c6,6  Crp (t )rp2  C ps (t )rp2 ; c4,7  c7,4  C ps (t )rs rp cos t ;

c5,7  c7,5  C ps (t )rs rp cos60  t ; c6,7  c7,6  C ps (t )rs rp cos60  t ; c7,7  C2  3C ps (t )rs2 ;
2 2 2 2
 2 2 2 2
c7,8  C2 ; c8,8  C2  C g12 (t )rg1 cos  cos   sin  ; c8,9  C g12 (t )rg 21 cos  cos   sin  ;   
c9 ,9  
C g12 (t )rg221  C g 23 (t )rg222 cos 2 2 2

 cos   sin  ; c9 ,10  C g 23 (t )rg 22 rg 3 cos  cos   sin  ;  2 2 2


c10,10  C3  C g 23 (t )rg23 cos 2  cos 2   sin 2  ; c10,11  c11,11  C3 . 
The non-zero number of C is c  3m r 2 .  2 ,2 p c

Numerical Results

The rotor, drive train and generator characteristics of an example turbine can be seen in Ref. [37]. To
determinate the natural frequencies and mode shapes the time invariant system is considered. All mesh
stiffnesses are considered to be constant and equal to their average stiffness over one mesh cycle. All externally
apllied forces are assumed to be zero.
The natural frequencies and modes shapes are obtained by Equation (2)

[M ] 1
[C ]  [ E ] q  0  (4)
All calculations are accomplished using the codes of MATLAB. The natural frequencies in Hz are
728 387 288 327 324 318 219 178 62 0 2.5
The mode shapes are shown in Fig.4

163
 Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,
Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –
MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

Figure 4: Mode shapes of wind turbine

For beter ilustration the mode shapes are also presented in Fig.5-14.

Fig.5. Mode shapes for natural frequency 782 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed
lines are the deflected positions.

Fig.6. Mode shapes for natural frequency 387 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed
lines are the deflected positions.

164
Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,
Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –
MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

Fig.7. Mode shapes for natural frequency 288 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed lines are the
deflected positions.

Fig.8. Mode shapes for natural frequency 327 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed lines are the
deflected positions.

Fig.9. Mode shapes for natural frequency 324 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed lines are the
deflected positions.

165
Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,
Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –
MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

Fig.10. Mode shapes for natural frequency 318 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed lines are the
deflected positions.

Fig.11. Mode shapes for natural frequency 219 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed lines are the
deflected positions.

Fig.12. Mode shapes for natural frequency 178 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed lines are the
deflected positions.

166
 Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,
Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –
MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

Fig.13. Mode shapes for natural frequency 62 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed lines are the
deflected positions.

Fig.14. Mode shapes for natural frequency 2.5 Hz. Solid lines are the equilibrium positions and dashed lines are the
deflected positions.

Conclusions

This work identifies the properties of the natural frequency spectra and vibration modes of a wind turbine
with a complex drive train. The developed model and results, obtained by its help, are useful for the gearbox
designing and scientific researches. The prediction of natural frequencies allows taking actions for avoiding of
resonance regimes in the gearbox and wind turbine designing. This model gives an opportunity for investigation
of torsional vibrations excited by wind and electromagnetic loads. The results can be used for wind turbine
vibrodiagnostics.

Bibliography

[1] A. Ams, M. Lorenz, G. Dunchev, I. Kralov, P. Sinapov, “Investigation of dynamic loads in a two-stage
cylindrical gear”, Proc. BulTrans-2009, Sozopol, September 24-26, 2009, pp. 122-124 (in Bulgarian).
[2] V. Ambarisha, R. Parker, “Suppression of Planet Mode Response in Planet Gear Dynamics Through Mesh
Phasing,” – J. Vibration and Acoustics, 2006, vol.128, pp.133-142.
[3] F. Amirouche, Fundamentals of Multibody Dynamics – Theory and Applications, Birkhäuser, Boston,
2006.
[4] A. Andersson, L. Vedmar, “A Dynamic Model to Determine Vibrations in Involute Helical Gears,” J.
Sound and Vibrations, 260, pp.195-212, 2003.
[5] C.-J. Bahk, R. Parker, “Analytical Solution for the Nonlinear Dynamics of Planetary Gears, J.
Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics”, April 2011, vol.6/ pp.021007-1-15.,
[6] V. Batinić, “Modal Analysis of Planetary Gear Trains”, J. Mechanical Engineering Design, vol.4, No 1,
2001, pp.17-24.
[7] F. Choy, Y. Ruan, J. Zakrajsek, F. Oswald, “Modal Simulation of Gearbox Vibration with Experimental
Correlation”, AIAA-92-3494, 1992.
[8] M. Coutinho, Dynamic Simulations of Multibody Systems, New-York, Springer-Verlag, 2001.
[9] Deutsches Institut für Normung, Calculation of Load Capacity of Cylindrical gears, DIN 3990, 1987.
167
 Proceedings of International Conference On Innovations, Recent Trends And Challenges In Mechatronics,
Mechanical Engineering And New High-Tech Products Development –
MECAHITECH’11, vol. 3, year: 2011

[10] H. Dresig, U. Schreiber, “Vibration Analysis for Planetary Gears. Modeling and Multibody Simulation”,
Proceedings of ICMEM2005, October 26-28, 2005, China.
[11] T. Eritenel, R. Parker, “Vibration Modes of Helical Planetary Gears”, Proc. of the ASME 2009 IDECT/CIE
2009, August 30-September 2, 2009, San Diego, California, USA, pp.1-10.
[12] T. Eritenel, R. Parker, “Modal Properties of Three-Dimensional Helical Planetary Gears”, J, Sound and
Vibration, 325, 2009, pp.397-420.
[13] P. Gold et al, “Simulation of The Three-Dimensional Vibration Behavior of a Wind Energy Plant,”
SIMPACK Users Meeting 2004, Wartburg-Eisenach, 09-10.11.2004.
[14] Y. Guo, R. Parker, “Purely rotational model and vibration modes of compound planetary gears”, Journal
Mechanism and Machine Theory, 45, 2010, pp.365-377.
[15] A. Heege, “Computation of Dynamic Loads in Wind Turbine Power Trains – DEWI Magazin,” Nr.23,
August 2003.
[16] A. Heege, J. Bertran, Y. Radovcic, “Fatigue Load Computation of Wind Turbine Gearboxes by Coupled
Finite Element, Multi-Body System and Aerodynamic Analysis,” Wind Energy, John Wiley & Sons, 2007.
[17] A. Kahraman, “Effect of Axial Vibrations on the dynamics of a helical gear pair,” J. Vibration and
Acoustics, 115, pp.33-39, 1993.
[18] J. Lin, R. Parker, “Planetary Gear Parametric Instability”, Gear Solution, September 2007, pp.32-45.
[19] J. Lin, R. Parker, “Analytical Characterization of the Unique Properties of Planetary Gear Free Vibration”,
Transaction of ASME, vol.121, July 1999, pp.316-321.
[20] J. Lin, R. Parker, “Mesh Stiffness Variation Instabilities in Two-Stage Gear Systems”, Transaction of
ASME, vol.124, January 2002, pp.68-76.
[21] N. Minchev, V. Grigorov, Vibrodiagnostics of rotary and piston machines. Sofia, Technique 1998 (in
Bulgarian)
[22] P. Nikravesh, Computer-Aided Analysis of Mechanical Systems, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 1988.
[23] R. Parker, “Natural Frequencies and Modal Properties of Compound Planetary Gears”, Gear Solution,
January 2008, pp.26-35.
[24] J. Peeters, D. Vandepitte, P. Sas, S. Lammens, “Comparison of analysis techniques for the dynamic
behaviour of an integrated drive train in a wind turbine,” Proc. of ISMA, vol.III, pp.1397-1405, 2002.
[25] J. Peeters, D. Vandepitte, P. Sas, “Analysis of Internal Train Dynamics in a Wind Turbine”, Wind Energy,
vol.9, pp.141-161, 2006.
[26] J. Peeters, D. Vandepitte, P. Sas, “Flexible multibody model of a three-stage planetary gearbox in a wind
turbine,” Proc. ISMA, pp.3923-3941, 2004.
[27] J. Peeters, “Simulation of Dynamic Drive Train Loads in a Wind Turbine,” Katholieke Universiteit Leuven,
Juni 2006.
[28] B. Rabelo, W. Hofman, M. Tilscher, A. Basteck, “A New Topology for High Powered Wind Energy
Converters,” EPE-PEMC’2004.
[29] P. Rosas, “Dynamic Influences of Wind Power on the Power System,” Ørsted, March 2003.
[30] A. Shabana, Dynamics of Multibody Systems, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
[31] B. Shlecht, T. Shulze, “Simulation of Drive trains in Wind Turbine with SIMPACK” SIMPACK Users
Meeting 2003, Freiburg im Breisgau, 08-09.04.2003.
[32] B. Shlecht, T. Shulze, T. Hähnel, “Multibody-System-Simulation of Wind Turbines for Determination of
Additional Dynamic Loads,” SIMPACK Users Meeting 2004, Wartburg-Eisenach, 09-10.11.2004.
[33] B. Shlecht, T. Shulze, T. Rosenlocher, “Simulation of Heavy Drive Trains with Multimegawatt
Transmission Power in SimPACK,” SIMPACK Users Meeting 2006, Kurhaus in Baden-Baden, 21-22.03.2006.
[34] S. Theodossiades, S. Natsiavas, “Periodic and Chaotic Dynamics of Motor-Driven Gear-Pair Systems with
Blacklash”, Chaos, Solutions and Fractals, 12 (2001), pp.2427-2440.
[35] M. Todorov, G. Vukov, I. Dobrev, “A Dynamic Multibody Model for Determination of the Torsional
Vibration of the Wind Turbine,” J. Machine Mechanics, v.2, pp.32-35, 2007.
[36] M. Todorov, I. Dobrev, F. Massouh, “Analysis of Torsional Oscillation of the Drive Train in Horizontal
Axis Wind Turbine”, Electromotion-2009, EPE Chapter Electric Drives, 2-3 July 2009, Lille, France, pp.1-7
[37] M. Todorov, G. Vukov, “Parametric Torsional Vibrations of a Drive Train in Horizontal Axis Wind
Turbine”, Proc. of CFSER-2010, Damas, 24-28 Octobre 2010.
[38] L. Vedmar, A. Andersson, “A Method to Determine Dynamic Loads on Spur Gear Teeth and on Bearings,”
J. Sound and Vibrations, 267, pp.1065-1084, 2003.
[39] V. Veits, M. Kolovskii, A. Kochura, Dynamics of controlled machine units. Moscow, Science, 1984 (in
Russian).
[40] J. Wittenburg, Dynamics of Systems of Rigid Bodies, Stuttgard, B.G. Teubner 1977.
[41] J. Zakrajesek, “Comparison of Gear Dynamics Computer Programs at NASA Lewis Research Center,”
NASA Technical Paper 2901, 1989.

168